SPECIES. 107 



larvte, 19 percent; beetles, 11 percent, including Carabidse, Ceramby- 

 cidee, Tenebrionidse, Elateridse {Drasterius), Scarabseidse (Aphodius), 

 Rhynchophora, and Chrysomelidse (Systena elo^igata, etc.); bugs (true 

 bugs — including Mt/odocha serrljxis — and a few leaf -hoppers), 9 per- 

 cent; ants, 8 percent; May-flies, 3 percent; miscellaneous insects, 2 

 percent; spiders, 21 percent; and snails, 1 percent. 



The winter wren {OlbioroMlus Tilemaliii) ^'a& observed hunting for 

 insects and spiders in brush piles, but no stomachs were collected. 



The long-billed marsh wren {CistotJwrus pcdustris), though like the 

 house wren it eats nothing but insects, can not be expected to help 

 crops because of the remoteness of its marshy habitat. Five birds 

 were collected. Spiders and beetles ( C'alandra oryza, Donacia^ Ilippo- 

 damia maaulatd) formed the major part of their food. The minor 

 part was composed of true bugs, leaf -hoppers, flies, parasitic wasps, 

 and ants. 



One Carolina wren {Thryothorus ludovi claims) was collected. It 

 had eaten caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles (longicorns and 

 leaf-beetles, including Odontota dorsalis). 



CREEPERS AND NUTHATCHES. 



The brown creeper ( Oerthia familiariH americana) plays a useful 

 part in ridding tree trunks of insect vermin. One stomach was taken. 

 It contained such beetles as TIelops sereus and Bnuilius hibisci, saw- 

 flies, flying ants, spiders, and seeds of the scrub pine. 



Two other beneficent gleaners of tree-trunk insects are the nut- 

 hatches {Sitta carolinensis and Sitta canadensis). Both were observed 

 at Marshall Hall, but no specimens were collected. Prof. E. Dwight 

 Sanderson has shown that the white-bellied nuthatch feeds on both 

 seeds and insects. He found it eating ragweed and sunflower seeds, 

 corn, and a very small amount of mast. His observations show it 

 to be very fond of bugs and their eggs, and that it selects most often 

 such Tingitidse as Plesnia cinerea., Reduviidse, Coreidse, and Jassidee. 

 Its beetle food includes Carabidse, Elateridae, Scarabseidse, and 

 Buprestidse. Ants (Myrmicidae) are taken in large numbers. It also 

 catches some parasitic wasps (Braconidse) and frequently secures 

 stone-flies, dragon-flies, and true flies." 



TITMICE. 



One tufted titmouse {Parus Mcolor) was collected July 9, 1898. It 

 had eaten several blueberries, a longicorn beetle, and a large cutworm. 



Seven Carolina chickadees {Parus carolinensis) were taken during 

 February, April, July, and August. Vegetable matter — mulberry 

 seeds, pine seeds, and i-agweed seeds — was present in four stomachs. 

 All the birds had eaten insects. One had eaten 1 bee (Andrenidse), 2 



aAuk, Vol. XV, pp. 144-148, 1898. 



